Will Putting My Address Vertically On Postcards Invalidate My Competition Entry?

[goldenretriever]

I kept having competition entry postcards returned (their address on the right, my address on the right) I complained to Royal Mail and their response was to add my details vertically, so their readers wouldn't pick my address up and send it back to me. I know that some competition hosts use automated equipment to read the entries, so I was wondering if this would invalidate my entry. Anyone in the know? Many thanks in advance.

[factor-fiction]

I don't think it will matter. Yhey don't look at most entries anyway- if they get 10000 entries but need only 5 winners they just pick a few out at random until they've got 5 correct answers. I wouldn't think it would be worth programming anything to read 5-10 postcards- it's far quicker to get someone to look at them. I can't see any reason for them to exclude your entry if it was chosen as a correct answer.

The only time an automated check may occur is if they pick loads of winners or want to capture all the addresses of entrants, but even then i think that as postcards come in all sizes, people use different address formats and handwriting differs I think it would be done manually.
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[silliemillie]

I do this all the time as some of my cards were boomeranging & I still win a fair bit.

[spudqueen]

You could try putting a couple of lines across your address so that it is still readable but not to Royal Mail!

[boxtops]

Yes, why not - I often use pre-printed labels.

or why don't you use plain postcards, with the TO on the front with the stamp, and the FROM on the back?